Europe

A University of Exeter team has tested single-axis tracking systems for floating solar across 12 UK sites, finding azimuthal tracking delivers the largest energy gains and lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

This week, Women in Solar+ Europe brings together voices from the 2025 series analysing the critical factors needed to advance gender equality across our solar plus industries. From visibility and bias to leadership accountability and allyship, these reflections reveal why advancing inclusion is essential to a successful energy transition.

Total number of UK PV plants backed by contracts for difference (CfD) could more than double in 2026, if developers hit deadlines. Latest investment report from scheme contract company reveals solar holds the greatest number of contracts of any generating technology.

Scientists have developed a floating PV digital twin system, trained on data from 155 physical experiments, using a two-tier artificial neural network (ANN) with a high-fidelity model and a reduced-order model. Predictive performance reached R2 values of 0.9996 for PV surface temperature and 0.9189 for power output.

Research commissioned by the UK government finds rooftop solar panels can significantly influence fire behavior, particularly when the height gap between modules and the roof surface falls below critical limits.

Scientists have simulated a residential building based on a real double-story house in the United Kingdom, combining rooftop agrivoltaics with onsite hydrogen production. Electricity generated by the solar system is used to produce hydrogen, which is then supplied to a hydrogen vehicle and insulated gasochromic smart windows.

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said in response to a recent Freedom of Information (FoI) request that even if all future solar projects under its solar roadmap were ground-mounted, they would occupy no more than 0.4% of the United Kingdom’s total land area.

London-based consultancy GlobalData says Poland could add between 3 GW and 4 GW of solar annually through to the middle of the next decade.

Indian solar manufacturer Waaree Energies is seeking to expand in Europe as the EU Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) reshapes solar procurement and supply-chain requirements. It says its scale, bankability and multi-gigawatt manufacturing track record position it to meet tightening European requirements on supply-chain resilience and traceability.

Romanian utility Electrica Group is running two solar tenders, a 62.5 MW project open for applications until Feb. 17, 2026, and a 77.6 MW project open for bidding until Feb. 12, 2026.